Data storage device

Abstract

A data storage device includes a memory module including a circuit board, a plurality of light emitting elements and a light guiding unit. The light emitting elements are electrically connected to the circuit board. The light guiding unit includes a light-homogenizing plate and a light output portion. The plate is disposed between the light output portion and the light emitting elements. A light diffusion space is disposed between the plate and the light output portion. The light emitted by the light emitting elements propagates sequentially into the plate, the light diffusion space, and the light output portion and then is output through the light output portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A data storage device, comprising:
 a memory module including a circuit board; and 
 a light emitting module including
 a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on said circuit board and electrically connected to said circuit board, said light emitting elements being adapted to emit light, 
 a light guiding unit including a light-homogenizing plate, said light emitting elements being disposed at a side of said light-homogenizing plate such that light emitted by said light emitting elements is transmitted into and homogenized by said light-homogenizing plate, and a light output portion which is disposed at an opposite side of said light-homogenizing plate and which is spaced apart from said light-homogenizing plate such that a light diffusion space is disposed between said light-homogenizing plate and said light output portion, the light emitted by said light emitting elements propagating sequentially into said light-homogenizing plate, said light diffusion space, and said light output portion and then being output through said light output portion, and 
 a heat dissipating unit in thermal contact with said memory module, holding said light guiding unit, and including two side walls spaced apart from each other and covering said light-homogenizing plate and said light diffusion space. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The data storage device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said light-homogenizing plate has a first light incident surface facing said light emitting elements, and a first light exiting surface facing away from said light emitting elements, said light output portion having a second light incident surface facing and spaced apart from said first light exiting surface, said light-homogenizing plate having a thickness along a first direction, along which said first light exiting surface and said second light incident surface are spaced apart, being not smaller than 2 millimeters (mm), said first light exiting surface and said second light incident surface cooperating with each other to define a dimension of said light diffusion space along the first direction that is not smaller than 2 mm. 
     
     
       3. The data storage device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the thickness of said light-homogenizing plate is not larger than 2 centimeters (cm), and the dimension of said light diffusion space is not larger than 2 cm. 
     
     
       4. The data storage device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said circuit board has a first board edge adapted to be connected to an electrical connector, a second board edge opposite to said first board edge along the first direction, and two board surfaces opposite to each other along a second direction transverse to the first direction and interconnecting said first board edge and said second board edge, said light emitting elements being adapted to emit light toward said second board edge, said light-homogenizing plate being disposed adjacent to said second board edge, said first light incident surface being perpendicular to said board surfaces of said circuit board, said light guiding unit further including two connecting portions connected respectively and integrally to two ends of said light output portion that are opposite to each other along a third direction transverse to the first direction and the second direction, each of said connecting portions being formed with a limiting slot extending along the first direction and engaging said second board edge, and an engaging groove extending along the second direction, said engaging grooves of said connecting portions engaging respectively two ends of said light-homogenizing plate that are opposite to each other along the third direction. 
     
     
       5. The data storage device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said light output portion has a width along the second direction smaller than that of said light-homogenizing plate, and includes:
 an equal-width segment disposed adjacent to said light-homogenizing plate, having a uniform thickness along the second direction, and formed with said second light incident surface; and 
 a tapered segment tapering from said equal-width segment away from said light-homogenizing plate; 
 said heat dissipating unit including two heat conducting plates disposed respectively adjacent to said board surfaces of said circuit board, each of said heat conducting plates including a connecting plate portion connected fixedly to said memory module, and a confining plate portion bending and extending from one side of said connecting plate portion that is adjacent to said second board edge, said confining plate portions of said heat conducting plates extending toward each other to hold said light output portion, said connecting plate portion and said confining plate portions of each of said heat conducting plates constituting a respective one of said side walls. 
 
     
     
       6. The data storage device as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said confining plate portion of each of said heat conducting plates is formed with a hollowed region corresponding in position to said equal-width segment to permit the light emitted by said light emitting elements to be output therethrough. 
     
     
       7. The data storage device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said heat dissipating unit further includes a connecting wall interconnecting said side walls, each of said side walls including an upright wall portion extending along the first direction and connected perpendicularly to said connecting wall, a first transverse wall portion extending from said upright wall portion along a second direction transverse to the first direction and spaced apart from said connecting wall along the first direction, and a second transverse wall portion extending from said upright wall portion along the second direction and spaced apart from said first transverse wall portion along the first direction, said first transverse wall portions of said side walls extending toward and spaced apart from each other to form a light channel therebetween, and cooperating with said connecting wall to form a first receiving space for accommodating said circuit board therein, said second transverse wall portions of said side walls extending toward and spaced apart from each other to define said light diffusion space therebetween, and cooperating with said first transverse wall portions to form a second receiving space for receiving said light-homogenizing plate therein, said light output portion being configured as a plate, and being connected to said second transverse wall portions at said second light incident surface, said light emitting elements being adapted to emit the light toward said light channel.